In Myzornis the bill is slender and nearly as long as the head, distinctly notched, with the culmen gently curved; the nostrils are longitudinal and covered by a membrane; the rictal bristles are weak; the head is not crested, but the feathers of the crown are somewhat lengthened; the wing is rounded; the tail about two-thirds the length of the wing and slightly graduated and the tarsus is long and slender.
The sexes are dissimilar.
(367) Myzornis pyrrhoura.
The Fire-tailed Myzornis.
- Myzornis pyrrhoura Hodgs., J. A. S. B., xii, p. 984 (1843) (Nepal); Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 233.
Vernacular names. Lho-sagvit-pho (Lepcha).
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Fig. 65.—Head of M. pyrrhoura.
Description. — Male. Lores and a patch behind the eye black; rest of the head and body bright green, the feathers of the fore- head with black centres and a streak above and below the eye still brighter green; throat and upper breast suffused with red and the lower breast and abdomen tinged with the same; vent and ui;der tail-coverts chestnut-red; wing-coverts and inner second- aries bright green; winglet tipped with white; primary-coverts black, edged with green and tipped with yellow; primaries brown, the first eight tipped with white, the outer webs of all deep black, more or less edged with red; outer secondaries with the outer webs red and tipped with pinkish; inner secondaries black with some green on the inner webs; tail-feathers red on the outer webs, green on the inner, broadly tipped with dusky.
Colours of soft parts. Iris red or red-brown; bill dusky-brown; legs flesliy.
Measurements. Length about 130 mm.; wine: 59 to 63 mm.; tail about 70 to 75 mm.; tarsus about 22 to 23 mm.; culmen about 13 mm. Female lias the primaiy-coverts green, tipped with white; the terminal spots on the secondaries pure white and the red on under parts, tail and wings duller.
Distribution. Nepal and Sikkim from 6,000 feet upwards.
Nidification. No authentic record.
Habits. A bird of high-level forests, from 6,000 to 10,000 feet or more.
